Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is one of the greatest producers ever; full stop. Thus, there was no better person to sit and chat about some of the most iconic breakbeats. During his January 2025 digital cover shoot in New York City, Questlove shared many historical facts and stories behind some of the classic hits many of us grew up hearing.
“‘Impeach The President’ is probably the most important breakbeat of all time,” he said of The Honey Drippers’ classic 1973 record. “Because that’s the meat and potatoes. That’s the four basic food groups of breakbeats. When you naturally are drumming on a lunchroom table or you’re beatboxing, like the rhythm […] It’s the heartbeat of Hip-Hop.”
Naturally, we segued to Sly & The Family Stone’s hit single “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.” With Sly as the main subject and inspiration behind his upcoming documentary, SLY LIVES!, it was no surprise that Thompson would bring the music history.
“Larry Graham’s right thumb does more for [‘Thank You’] than probably any musical composition in Black music post-1970s,” he stated. “One, the style of his bass playing was literally practiced and copied for generations of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s. […] Any song that you hear in E minor starts with a teenager who heard [‘Thank You.’]”
The Roots member also broke down James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” and The Winstons’ “Amen Brother.” His breakdown of the latter includes a cool anecdote about a trip to a British nightclub and how the track influenced the sound of an OutKast hit. Watch Questlove break down these beats above and check out his January 2025 digital cover story here.
Questlove’s SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) documentary premieres February 13 on Hulu.
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